"Cellphone video showing a fatal knife fight
between Jah-Lah Vanderhorst, white shirt with red
shorts, and Tyler Rhodes, blue track suit. Dhoruba
Shuaib, blue and white striped shirt, is accused
of of aiding Vanderhorst in the killing
On the morning of April 30, Dhoruba Shuaib took
the exam to be an Albany police officer — a test
he would pass.
Within hours, the 19-year-old was near a
basketball court at Hoffman Park in Albany where,
prosecutors say, he helped another teen stab to
death Tyler Rhodes, a member of the Albany High
School track team.
Shuaib is not accused of being the stabber.
Rather, prosecutors contend he restricted Rhodes'
movements, which allowed Jah-Lah Vanderhorst, now
17, to stab Rhodes using a large, black knife.
They also allege Vanderhorst handed Shuaib the
weapon, then got it back from Shuaib before
mortally wounding Rhodes, 17.
Testimony began Monday in Shuaib's second-degree
murder trial before acting Supreme Court Justice
Dan Lamont in Albany.
"But for this defendant's actions, Tyler Rhodes
would be alive today," Chief Assistant District
Attorney David Rossi told jurors in his 12-minute
opening statement, as family members of both
Rhodes and Shuaib looked on.
A witness videotaped the incident using a
cellphone camera. The video, taken by 16-year-old
Kahree Langston, was shown twice to the jury
Monday. It captured what appeared to be
Vanderhorst stabbing Rhodes in the chest following
a confrontation witnessed by several youths. At
times, Langston is heard telling Vanderhorst to
stop and, "Put the knife away!" - TimesUnion